Lorenzo Hill Hatch, 1826-1910

Lorenzo Hill Hatch, son of Hezekiah and Aldura Hatch, born
4 January, A.D. 1826, in the town of Lincoln, Addison County,
state of Vermont.

My mother's maiden name was Sumner; Aldura Sumner, born May
1803.

My father was born in Charlotte, Vermont. (County of
Chittenton) Son of Jeremiah and Elizabeth Hatch, December 2,
A.D. 1798.

My father was married to Aldura Sumner, 3 February, A.D.
1820.

The Family Record of my Father: John Sumner Hatch, born 24
November 1820 Jeremiah Hatch, born 7 July 1823 Lorenzo Hill
Hatch, 4 January 1826 Abram Chase Hatch, born 3 January 1830
Adeline Hatch, born 26 January 1834 Elizabeth Hatch, born 19
January 1837 Hezekiah Moroni Hatch, born 9 November 1840

All of the children born of one mother, Aldura Hatch, who
was a good mother all her days.

My father was a farmer and reared me at that occupation.

My father was baptized into the Church of Latter-day Saints
in the fall of 1840 by Elder Peletiah Brown; having formerly
been a Universalist in belief, but never joining a church. My
mother was of the same belief and both had good understanding of
the scriptures and were moral in all their habits. They were
good to the poor and kind to strangers.

My father and mother were poor when first married, but my
father bought a farm of his father's and paid him a big price
for itaving time to pay for it given him. The farm was not
cleared and was heavily timbered except for a few acres where a
house and barn stood. He worked hard, burnt ashes, and made
payments for his land and store goods. Thus he cleared up his
farm or some portion of it.

My father became wealthy and had a good orchard of several
hundred trees that he set out. My father was a great reader and
histories were well known unto him, of nations and peoples. He
was a representative to the Legislature, which was quite an
honor in that country; thus I have given a short history of my
father of whom I shall take notice hereafter as I proceed with
my journal.

I was baptized in the month of February, 1840, in the
fifteenth year of my age. My mother was baptized at the same
time. I was quite faithful and steady for a boy and obeyed my
father and mother and they had confidence in me. I labored very
hard while my father lived.

My brother, Hezekiah Moroni, died in the town of Lincoln,
Vermont, 19 April, 1841, being five months and nine days old.
Father sold his land to prepare to go to Nauvoo, and my mother
died 10 April, 1842, in the town of Lincoln, Vermont. This
affected the family very much and created great excitement among
the gentiles because a Latter-day Saints should die. Thus, the
spirit of opposition was great because the Lord had caused the
gospel to be preached and the honest in heart had obeyed it.

Soon after the death of my mother, my eldest brother John
took sick which terminated in dropsy of the bowels. About this
time, my father moved to Bristol, Vermont to my grandfather's to
prepare for the trip to Nauvoo. Here, John continued to get
worse and my mother being dead, I took care of him as best I
could. My father had a hired girl to do the work, but the time
drew near for our departure, father having bought his teams.

Sometime in the month of August 25 or 26, we took leave of
our friends and country, leaving John very sick. This was the
greatest trial that I ever had in my life up to this date, 12
December, 1855, although I have lost an affectionate father and
mother and a brother and wife.

Before we arrived at Nauvoo John died--7 September, 1842.
We arrived in Nauvoo after six weeks, having traveled 1500
miles. At the time of our arrival the Prophet was in hiding
from the "writs" that were in circulation against him by
accusation that was made by the state of Missouri.

Through the efforts of Governor Carlin of the state of
Illinois, this excitement passed in a few weeks after our
arrival, and we had the privilege of seeing and hearing the
Prophet speak to the Saints. Soon after our arrival, my father
bought a farm from the Prophet Joseph east of the Big Mound, six
miles from the city on the east. He also bought a city lot of
Reuben Hadlock [Hedlock] and commenced building a house on it.
The house was 30 x 16, two stories of brick, located on the
Mulholland Street. It was two or three blocks east of the
temple, with a porch in front. He put up this house in
February. In March he commenced fencing on his prairie farm.
He was taken sick about the first of June with the bilious fever
and died 25 June, 1843; and thus, we were left in the midst of
the saints without father or mother whilst many sought the
advantage of us and took it--not the saints, but those that
professed to be. Let them have their reward.

Brother Jerry was married previous to the death of father.
I was eighteen years at the time, Abram fourteen, Adeline ten,
Elizabeth seven. Abram lived with grandfather's folks who came
to Nauvoo the same time that we came. I lived with Jeremiah (my
brother) and we were poor enough. We did fairly well though,
for it was hard times. The little girls lived from place to
place as they could find places to stay.

Jeremiah Hatch, my uncle (father's brother, the eldest of
his father's family) was the administrator of the estate. He
sold the personal property, such as wagons, harnesses, stock,
cloth, clothing and bedding which ought to have been kept for
the heirs and trusted it out. The estate was never settled.
How much he collected, I do not know. This much I do know. The
heirs received nothing except a few articles which they bought
at the sale. Had Jerry and I known how things were going we
would have bid on everything and let the administrator and
scoundrels go to the devil, where they have gone.

Sometime in the winter of 1843, I was ordained a priest and
traveled through the city as a teacher and was blessed. I will
record a prophecy that Joseph Smith delivered concerning the
coming of the Savior. He said in the name of Jesus Christ that,
"He will not come within forty years from this date." (Spoken
10 March, 1844.)

At this place in the original journal, there are seven full
pages of patriarchal blessings. That is: four blessings given
to Lorenzo Hill Hatch, two to his wife Sylvia, one for his wife
Catherine, one for his brother Jerry and one upon the head of
his father, Hezekiah, by Hyrum Smith the Patriarch at Nauvoo, 6
March, 1843. James Sloane was the scribe. One of Lorenzo's
blessings was give by the Patriarch Hyrum also. This last
blessing was given 11 January, 1844. After this blessing is
recorded, Lorenzo records the words thus: The word of Brother
Hyrum concerning my father: He said that he had very singular
feelings when he blessed father which were in consequence of the
shortness of his life, and this was in fulfillment of a dream
which my father had in Vermont concerning the Prophet.

Family of my mother, Aldura Hatch. Her maiden name was
Sumner. She was born 4 May, 1803, daughter of John and Abigail
Plumney Sumner. Rebecca Hanley, the older sister of my mother,
was born 5 February, 1798. Cyrus Sumner, the oldest brother of
my mother, was born 17 January, 1804. This data was copied from
a letter received from Vermont.

Ezra T. Benson, one of the Twelve, died 3 September, 1869,
at Ogden, Utah, born 22 February, 1811.

Two more Patriarchal Blessings are written in the original
journal, one given to the writer, L. H. Hatch and the other to
his wife Alice. Both blessings were pronounced by Patriarch
John Young. Among these blessings, we find one given as a
father's blessings, which I shall copy.

"Lorenzo, I lay my hands upon your head in the name of
Jesus of Nazareth to bless you in all things that are agreeable
to the Lord's will or that will meet his approbation. I also
bless you and pray your Heavenly Father to grant you long life.
And I bless you to have a desire that you may be good to the
aged and to all that it may be in your power to assist. I bless
you that you may go forth to preach the gospel according to the
order of the priesthood wherever you may be sent and that you
may bring many things into the Church, that we haven't known,
and knowledge. And may you be an honor to it. May your
Heavenly Father send his Holy Ghost upon you wherever you may go
that you may bring many into the Church and continue to improve
until the end of your day. These blessings I seal upon your
head even so. Amen."

Jeremiah Hatch Sen., four, five and six times
great-grandfather of present descendants was living at Bristol
Vermont when his son Hezekiah (father of Lorenzo Hill Hatch)
taught him the gospel. Hezekiah had heard of the "restoration"
through Elder Pelatiah Brown. No sooner was Hezekiah and his
family baptized than he took the glad tidings to his father,
Jeremiah, and family, all of whom embraced the truth except
Jeremiah Jr. Jeremiah Sen. was seventy-four years old and his
wife, Elizabeth, sixty-eight years at the time of their baptism
in 1840, yet, they enthusiastically joined their children in the
difficult move to Nauvoo, Autumn of 1842. He was a veteran of
the Revolutionary War in which struggle his father, Nathaniel
Hatch, lost his life.

It was at the temple in Nauvoo that Jeremiah Sen. and
Elizabeth received their endowments, one week before the final
exodus from that city. (31 January, 1846) Elizabeth died at
Winter Quarters 5 December, 1847, and three months later her
husband gave the above blessing grandson, Lorenzo. It was more
than two years later that Jeremiah, the beloved grandfather,
died on the plains near Council Bluffs at the age of eight-six
years. (23 May, 1850)

(Birthdates of seven of his children omitted)

NAUVOO April 14, A.D. 1844.

I was ordained a Seventy by Joseph Young, president of the
Seventies, and started on the 15th with Thomas Fuller on a
mission of Vermont to preach the gospel. [This mission was to
advocate Joseph Smith as President of the United States.
Mission over shortly after martyrdom.] It was Monday, 3 o'clock
P.M. when we found a man in from the country with a team and got
a chance of riding with him to a village about sixteen miles
from Nauvoo. His name was Simon Draper. We stayed that night
with Father Gates.

Next morning, at 8 o'clock started on our way with the same
man and rode with him until about 12 o'clock noon. Started on
foot and traveled until about dark. We came to a house and
wanted to stay all night. He wouldn't keep us saying that he
started Mormons away at dark. At the next house we wanted to
stay, but the privilege was denied us. We told him that if he
would not keep us in the name of the Lord, that we would stay
out of doors. Accordingly we stayed out of doors and slept in
the hazel brush with our valises under our heads and it was very
cold, being the 16th of April.

We arose before day and started on after thanking the Lord
for our preservation through the cold and dreary night. We got
our breakfast at a farm house and paid for it. I was taken
quite sick, having eaten nothing from one morning till the next.
After throwing up my breakfast, I felt better and we traveled on
that day for thirty miles and put up at a public house and paid
our bill, thinking that it would not be prudent to stay out of
doors at this time of year.

Thursday, April 17. Went to Peoria on the Illinois River.
Took dinner at Brother Hunt's who lived at this place. We
crossed by ferry and traveled a few miles staying with a brother
by the name of Dobson all night.

Friday, April 19. We went to Bolen Green and heard of some
brethren about five miles from there. We found them that night
and stayed with Brother Shepperd. Spent Saturday the 20th with
these brethren as well as Sunday the 21st and preached to the
people and counseled them to go to Nauvoo.

Monday, April 22. Took leave of the brethren and went to
Brother Benson's. Took dinner with him and traveled on to a
brother's by the name of Vail. Here we stayed all night of
Tuesday the 23rd. Brother Vail took his horse and went five
miles with us. He took us across a creek. The streams were
very high as it had rained a great deal for a few days past. We
traveled through many streams this day as the country was most
deluged in water. We traveled thirty miles and stayed all night
with a woman by the name of Oliver at Oliver's Grove. The man
was not at home. We bstimony, which had a good effect.

Wednesday, April 24. Traveled on, we found a great deal of
water and very deep sloughs which run like rivers. We forded
them, holding our coats up so as to keep our books out of the
water. Stayed all night at Ash Grove. We stayed with a woman
and her sons who told us that Mormons couldn't stay in the
Grove. We passed as travelers and felt of the boys heads and
praised them for their good sense. They wouldn't take any money
because we were such "good fellows."

Thursday, April 25. We traveled about twelve miles and
came to the town of Milford where Brothers Norman Milford, James
Munroe, and Marcellus Bates had raised up a branch of the
Church. When we arrived here, I was taken sick in consequence
of sleeping out of doors (may they receive their rewards
according to their works) and also in consequence of the wet
weather and exposure that I had to pass through. We stayed
there nine days and preached to the saints. My health improved.
We preached seven times and baptized one man by the name of
George W. Harris. On the 4th of May, we ordained Benjamin F.
Chamberlain, an elder, and Silas Harris, a teacher. We left
Milford, Monday, May 5th for Lafayette in Indiana, traveling
thirty-two miles that day. Stayed with a man all night by the
name of Janens.

Having been sick, it was hard for me to walk so far in one
day. I was very sick all that night but no one knew my feelings
as I kept them to myself. This man and his wife treated us with
great respect and shed tears when we left. They believed our
testimony and no doubt they would have been baptized if we had
stayed a few days with them.

Tuesday, May 6. Traveled to Lafayette on the Wabash River
and took a boat on the Canal. Name of Canal was the Wabash and
Erie Canal and runs through the state of Indiana. We rode that
night to a place called Def. Got off the boat on Wednesday the
7th. We found a brother by the name of Martin. He had raised
up a few members of the Church. We stayed a few days with him
and rested as well as preaching to the people. Left Brother
Martin's Monday the 12th. We traveled twelve miles and found
Brother Mires. [The author uses the word "traveled" when they
walked.] Brother Mires and his family belonged to the Church
[Branch] and Logan's Port. We preached to the people in this
town and left it on Wednesday the 15th. Brother Mires went a
mile or two with us when we parted with him. Traveled till
about 3 o'clock and found Brother Bunn; took dinner with him and
then left for the Canal and took a boat for Toledo. Arrived at
the town of Wain in the evening of Friday the 17th. Got along
well on Saturday and arrived at Toledo in the evening of Sunday
the 19th.

Took a steamboat for Buffalo. We worked our passage and
were treated worse than dogs. One of the firemen threw a stick
of wood at Brother Fuller and just missed his head. My health
was very poor. Arrived at Buffalo Tuesday the 23rd. We then
engaged our passage for Port Junction and gave all the money we
had for this passage. Left Buffalo Wednesday and arrived at
Rochester Thursday the 23rd. We stayed here till Friday the
24th at 3 o'clock. Arrived at Utica Monday the 27th and at Port
Junction on the 28th when we left the boat. We had no money and
there was a toll passed thd the bell rang but no one came out
and we hurried on. Arrived at Father Fuller's home, Tuesday,
28th in the night. I was quite sick when I arrived.

Sunday, June 2. I preached for the first time and the Lord
told me that I could not preach of myself and I was confounded.
I stayed from the 28th of May to the 17th of June and worked for
Father Fuller. He gave me nothing when I left for Vermont, a
distance of 125 miles. At his house, I found my wife. She was
his daughter. We were not married for most two years after this
date.

June 17. Started for Vermont and arrived there on the
27th. Preached in Ferisburg in the evening. It was the first
sermon that I had preached after I left Brother Fuller and it
was the second time that I had tried to preach in my life. The
Lord blessed me an I had great liberty. One woman arose and
bore testimony that what I had preached was the truth. It was
at the house of Charles Haight, my great uncle. He was an old
man. I had never seen him before. His wife believed my
testimony. After which, I started for Bristol. [Bristol was
the home of Jeremiah Hatch Sen. when he received the gospel. It
is ten miles south of Lincoln, Addison County, Vermont, which
was the home of Lorenzo in his boyhood as well as his
birthplace.]

June 25. Arrived in Bristol where I found Brothers John
Chase and Almon Harding. On the 26th I found my Aunt Hannah,
mother's youngest sister an also my cousins. They received me
kindly. On the 27th, I started for Northfield with Brothers
Chase and Harding, some thirty of forty miles on foot. This was
the day that Joseph, the Prophet, was martyred with his brother
Hyrum. Thus fell two of the mightiest men that lived in this
generation. It was a gloomy day and we traveled twenty-five
miles that day. We arrived on the 28th at Brother Liman Hotens.
We came to this place to hold a conference. Brother Erastus
Snow had charge of this state. He did not arrive. We held a
meeting on the 29th. Brother Harding preached on the 30th.
Brother Chase preached three times on Monday, the first day of
July. I held a meeting about two miles from the former place.
Brother [Harding] was with me. I spoke to the people. We had a
good turnout and the Lord blessed me. They said that I knew
more scripture than the old preacher who had preached forty
years. July 2nd, Brother Snow and Brother William Hyde
preached.

Brother Snow called a Council of elders that were present.
Here it was manifested that Brother Jason Hoten should be
ordained but he refused. Soon after this Brothers Snow and Hyde
left for Nauvoo. There are many that believed the gospel in
this place. Shortly the news of the death of the prophet
reached here and they were not baptized. Brother Chase was
counseled to stay on here a few days and preach. Brother
Harding and myself were to go back to Lincoln. We started on
the 3rd and arrived at Lincoln on the 4th of July, 1844.

I went to Bristol on the 6th of July and held one meeting
in that town. Formerly there had been a branch of the Church
here and a good deal of preaching in this region of the country.
I found they had become perfectly hardened; therefore, I held no
more meetings. Being quite destitute of clothing, I went to
work for fifty cents a day. This was all that they woule me.

About the middle of this month the news came of the death
of Joseph and Hyrum. At first I could not believe it, but at
last was convinced that it was a fact. Then I mourned and wept
as the children of Israel did when Moses was taken from them.
[This in his own words was his testimony concerning Brigham
Young given just before his death, 20 April, 1910.]

"I was alone a young man, being but eighteen years old,
1500 miles from home. The question in my mind was, who would
lead the Church now that the Prophet Joseph was gone. About a
month later a letter came from my uncle, Jeremiah Hatch who had
married a daughter of Sidney Rigdon. He claimed that the Lord
had called Sidney Rigdon to lead the Church. I was at the house
of one of my cousins in the town of Bristol, Vermont. It was
about noon. I stood in the middle of the sitting Room reading
the letter to my cousin, when a voice plain and distinct said,
"Brigham Young is the man God has chosen to fill the vacancy."
I so declared to my cousin. My father had gone to the Great
Beyond and Brigham Young was a father to me all the remainder of
his life.--Lorenzo Hill Hatch."

After haying was over, I worked for $7.00 per month for
Seneca Sumner, my mother's cousin. That was all they would give
me although I earned twice that much. During the winter, I
threshed some grain and chopped wood for different ones, among
these, a man named Thomas Wilder for whom I fixed up a shop. He
didn't pay me all that he agreed to do. Let him have his
reward.

During the winter, Brother Harding and I went to the state
of New York and preached several times, also preaching once or
twice in Vermont. Then we commenced fixing for our return to
Nauvoo. In the spring of 1845, I bade my kindred farewell and
left in company with Brother Harding and Johnathan Heywood.
Brother Heywood took his family. His wife was a bitter enemy to
the truth and murmured all the way. We went to Buffalo, from
there to Chicago and from there across the state of Illinois to
Savanna, on the Mississippi River. Here we took a steamer and
arrived all safe after twenty days of travel at Nauvoo, a
distance of 1500 miles. I was away one year and three months
during which time I traveled many hundred of miles on foot. I
was turned out of doors several times in Illinois and also in
the state of New York because I was a Mormon. The Lord did
preserve me all the time I was gone. At home I found brothers
and sisters all well; my grandfather and grandmother were well.
I was happy to get home and found Nauvoo flourishing; such
crops, I never saw growing out of the earth before.

After resting myself and visiting, I went out to the farm
where Jeremiah (my brother) lived and worked with him through
the summer. We concluded to build a house on the farm. We
therefore commenced getting materials together for that purpose.
We cut hay on the prairie on share of one half. When our half
was delivered in the city of Nauvoo, we sold it for $4.00 a
load. By this means, we got ready to be brought from the kiln,
when all of our work ceased. Our lime still lies there and our
brick is in the kiln to this day for aknow about it. The devil
commenced raging and the mobs commenced burning the houses of
the saints in the surrounding country and the inhabitants had to
flee for their lives to Nauvoo.

I went to Nauvoo and stood guard with the rest of my
brethren. I went to put down the mob. We went to Warsaw and
the town was all vacated. The devils had gone, so there was no
fight for us. I shall only give an outline of my life here, as
I kept no daily journal.

[Lorenzo worked on the temple during these last months.] We
succeeded in getting the temple so nearly done that many
thousands received their endowments during the winter. In the
fall of 1845, Father Fuller and his family came to Nauvoo. I
became attached to his daughter Hannah. In 1846, the 2nd or 1st
of February, I with her received our endowments. On the 3rd of
February, 1846, I was married by Bishop Hale to Hannah Elizabeth
Fuller.

My father-in-law requested me and Daniel Mcarthur and Guy
Barnum to go with him into the wilderness as he had wagons and
money to buy teams with which to take all his family. The
brethren aforementioned had married his daughters which made
about twenty persons. The Church had agreed several months
previous, to leave Nauvoo. We complied with the request of the
old gentleman. The property left of my father's estate--which
belonged to us--was worth $3000 before this difficulty came upon
us, but at this time couldn't be sold at all for any price. So
of necessity I was obliged to comply with the request as I had
no means to take me away. We fitted up the wagons, broke the
cattle, got all things ready and on the 27th of February, I bade
my friends farewell and we crossed the Mississippi River on the
ice. We got to the camp about 3:00 P.M. where the brethren
were.